The Eagle Spring 2025 Print Edition

the EAGLE April 2025

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D.C. residents and AU students on the front line of Trump’s second term Meeting the moment as universities across the U.S. remain silent p.6

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The Eagle has a commitment to accuracy and clarity and will publish corrections or clarifications. To report a mistake, email the editor-in-chief at editor@theeagleonline.com.

Correction: The fall 2024 print edition misspelled Kirstie Dorr’s first name in “Administration grapples with antisemitism and Islamophobia on campus.” It has been updated online to reflect the correct spelling.

Correction: The fall 2024 print edition did not attribute AWOL for information on the October 2023 community forum and the George Washington University statistics in “$68 Million Short.”

It has been updated online to reflect the attribution.

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theEAGLE April 2025

NEWS

INDEX

4. Students disillusioned with University administration’s lack of support for advocacy organizations 4. Small business owners reflect on “new normal” five years after onset of COVID-19 5. Increase in administrative positions prompts report from faculty 6. D.C. residents and AU students on the front line of Trump’s second term 9. Students left craving choice after American University implements a two-year housing requirement 9. Students question annual tuition increases

LIFE

10. AU’s Kogod Business and Entertainment program hits the right note 11. Professors equip aspiring filmmakers with skills to succeed in a competitive industry 12. Appropriation or Appreciation: How fashion walks the line 13. Students and faculty are concerned about the Trump administration’s approach to the climate crisis 13. Bender Library’s AV equipment borrowing, The Cage are easy to miss resources for students

SPORTS

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14. Despite tough season, women’s basketball stood up to the challenge

15. Finding the flock 15. Column: Meltzer Center should be viewed as great addition to campus 16. Twenty years later, the University’s tennis legacy is gone

EL ÁGUILA

17. ¿Qué implican las órdenes ejecutivas de Trump para la comunidad latina en los EE.UU? 18. Bukele y El Salvador: Entre la paz y el poder absoluto 18. Opinión: Jacques Audiard debe primero aprender a hablar español antes de criticarlo 19. El impacto de la orden ejecutiva sobre los programas de DEI en American University

OPINION

20. Opinion: Liberation Day, for whom?

21. Recs with Ritika: Navigating American University’s internship culture 21. Opinion: American University’s approach to the core curriculum is flawed 22. Opinion: Am I enough of a wonk?

23. Satire: Your DC internship survival guide 23. Satire: Guide to major free agency 24. Staff Editorial: AU students are fighting for their futures in light of new policies, now administrators need to step up COVER GRAPHIC: IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE

GAVIN O'MALLEY/THE EAGLE

Letter from the Editor: Four years of flying with The Eagle

It may be hard to believe, but I’ve spent more time at The Eagle than as a student at American University. I joined the paper in June 2021, nearly four years ago, months before stepping on campus as a student.

Like a sponge, I absorbed everything the editors and staffers above me had to say. In return, I earned the delightful nickname “the baby.”

Even now, as I graduate and pass down leadership, my long-graduated Eagle friends still call me that.

What that nickname has symbolized to me, though, is the unique culture The Eagle fosters on campus. We’re a newsroom entirely run by students, but more than that, we’re a newsroom that teaches students. There are few places on college campuses where students have the unique opportunity to teach and mentor each other. In no other place have I seen the time, care and dedication Eagle staffers take to empower and hold each other up.

Student journalism is important now more

than ever. With shrinking local news, we’re often the only bodies that cover our schools and communities so in-depth as well as hold the administration to account. I know with The Eagle’s mission to seek truth and report it, and a staff dedicated to upholding it and continuing to improve The Eagle, this newspaper will continue to adapt to the changing times for the next 100 years and beyond.

Thank you to Tyler Davis, who has an adept ability to read my mind. They have led the News section with integrity, overseeing our coverage of the University’s budget deficit, voyeuristic crimes and the Title IX

office.

Thank you to Luna Jinks and Olivia Citarella.

Without them, the Copy section and their late nights adding the finishing touches, our stories would not go out.

To Penelope Jennings and the Sports section for constant laughter, Sarai Batallas and El Águila for reviving the section, Manuela Gonzalez and Online for innovating our social media, Alana Parker and Opinion for kickstarting important discussions, Marina Zaczkiewicz and Life for embracing our creativity and Izzy Fantini and Multimedia for capturing it all.

Thank you to Maya Cederlund, our DEI and Community Engagement editor, for leading thoughtful discussions as we reflect on our 100-year history.

To Heather, Courtney, Brett and The Eagle Advisory Board for championing The Eagle at every turn.

To Amy Eisman and John Watson for their years of guidance and dedication to The Eagle.

To Gregg Ivers, one of The Eagle’s biggest cheer-

leaders and my biggest supporter on campus.

To my friends and family for patiently listening to my endless Eagle talk and reminding me it will all be okay in the end.

And a final thank you to Abigail Pritchard, Nina Heller and Clare Mulroy for paving the way. Your examples of leadership and mentorship made this dream of mine possible.

I have no doubt that Walker Whalen will take this paper to new heights in its 100th year and beyond. I can’t wait to see where they lead The Eagle next, and I’ll be cheering every step of the way.

Abigail Turner

Editor-in-Chief 2024-2025 aturner@theeagleonline.com

This year, we are celebrating 100 years of informative, engaging and creative student journalism. We want to reflect on The Eagle’s century of contributing to conversations on campus and look ahead to many more years of engaging our community.

NEWS

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theEAGLE April 2025

Students disillusioned with University administration’s lack of support for advocacy organizations

by Olivia Wood, Investigative Reporter and Mackenzie Konjoyan, Local News Beat Reporter Emily Sohl has seen on-campus protests ranging from the 2022 campus walkout protesting against sexual violence to protests over the war in Gaza at American University, but recently she has started to lose hope.

Sohl, a senior in the School of Communication and the Training Lead for Sunrise AU, is one of many students at the University who fear they will be punished or silenced for protesting. This has led to an increase in disillusionment with the University administration and other individuals on campus amongst some student activists.

Recently, Sohl said Sunrise AU has seen pushback against protests, including from its faculty advisor, who went from “someone that was involved in our protests to encouraging us not to protest.”

Valentina Aquila, Sunrise AU’s faculty advisor, said she received an email from the University in fall 2024 with resources on how students can best demonstrate on campus. Aquila then spoke with club members and asked them to think about achieving their intended goal while possibly adhering to the requests.

“It’s just kind of like the fear of getting shut down; whatever we try to do, we’re just gonna be discouraged to act on it, and if it does happen, it’s gonna get shut down immediately,” Sohl said.

Sohl said an anti-establishment sentiment often arises on college campuses, since students are moving into adulthood and “seeing power for what it is.”

College students across the country believed that 58 percent of their institution’s student body was somewhat politically active, with 17 percent of those surveyed disagreeing that their college did a good job of fostering respect for diverse political opinions, according to Survey USA. Adah Nordan, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences and the social media manager for No More AU, said the mental price of protesting is still high, even as she recognized that she, as an ally, was not doing the brunt work in protests.

Former University President Sylvia Burwell banned indoor protests on Jan. 25, 2024. President Jonathan Alger reserved the ban in an Aug. 13, 2024, email. New expression policies, including the Facilities Use Policy and Social Media Policy, were implemented on Oct. 4, 2024.

Elizabeth Deal, ​​assistant vice president and deputy chief communications officer, directed those concerned

with University decisions to the appeals process in the Student Conduct Code, stressing the importance of students speaking up “in the right way” because “that can make an impact.”

IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE and care “They need to actually take in, consider about what the students are saying,” said Tanishka Khanna, a sophomore in the School of International Service, vice president of No More AU and a Title IX advisor with the It’s On Us Lighten the Load initiative.

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Small business owners reflect on “new normal” five years after onset of COVID-19

BEN ACKMAN/THE EAGLE

by Ava Agostinelli News Staff Writer Small businesses took an especially hard hit five years ago during the coronavirus pandemic compared to larger companies, as they were less likely to have the resources to survive the losses during the shutdown.

Looking back on the past five years, small businesses in Northwest D.C. have adapted in countless ways.

“It’s kind of interesting. Our business grew during the pandemic because I was able to get ingredients from my suppliers,” said Chris Girardot, owner of RavenHook Bakehouse, a D.C. farmers’ market-based bakery. “It was hard, and we paid a lot more for the ingredients at the time, but a lot of places weren’t able to get anything.”

RavenHook Bakehouse sells products at numerous D.C. farmers’ markets, such as the Dupont Circle Market organized under the non-profit market organization FRESHFARM.

“FRESHFARM, to their credit, petitioned the city and rector of CityDance Studios.

COVID-19 created a domino effect for other issues were able to get farmers’ markets to be designated as centhat small businesses are reeling from today, such as inflatral food hubs — so essential workers,” Girardot said.

In 2020, RavenHook Bakehouse added a delivery tion. For RavenHook, inflation after the pandemic exposervice to its business model, not only accommodating nentially increased overhead costs such as rent and ingresocial distancing protocols but also increasing business. dients.

Trying to stay true to his philosophy of quality breads The bakery received a grant from the city to start a “local delivery service only for Washington, D.C.,” delivering at a reasonable price, Girardot contemplated adjusting freshly baked goods through Near Delivery — which will prices.

“It was really tough. I thought we were going to lose deliver anywhere in the city for only $5 — and frozen, the business, and we struggled to pay our bills,” Girardot ready-to-bake goods through Uber Eats.

Other businesses, such as CityDance Studios, didn’t said. “Thankfully, I have a good relationship with all my have as many options at the beginning of the lockdown. vendors and landlords who let us flake for a little while, CityDance spent the first year and a half serving its cli- but it was very stressful.”

Chow wants the local community to “continue taking ents on Zoom, leaving no opportunity for a sense of normalcy. They eventually returned at a limited capacity classes and finding that joy of dance, as dance is for all,” with a hybrid setup. Hybrid options allowed businesses to emphasizing the necessity of community engagement to serve more customers while maintaining social distanc- support local businesses. ing protocols.

“We actually grew as we moved from Tenleytown to local@theeagleonline.com Friendship Heights in 2021,” said Ivy Chow, executive di-

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theEAGLE April 2025

Increase in administrative positions prompts report from faculty

Faculty, students criticize former President Burwell’s hiring choices in light of budget deficit

by Cara Halford Features Editor

Faculty and students at American University are concerned about the rise of administrative positions under former President Sylvia Burwell and what it could mean for the University’s budget and priorities moving forward.

Concerns were first raised about administrative bloat — the growth of administrative positions outpacing that of the faculty and the student body — in late 2023, when the Faculty Senate, composed of 31 faculty representatives, tasked a faculty group with studying the growth of the administration under Burwell.

The Study Group on Administrative Growth’s report to the Faculty Senate, which was obtained and reviewed

by The Eagle, found that under Burwell there was a 64 percent increase in “vice president” and “director” titles in comparison to only a 10 percent increase in faculty positions.

Stephen Silvia, a professor in the School of International Service and the Faculty Senate’s vice chair, authored the resolution calling for the study group. Silvia said that competition between universities and increased regulations concerning campus security, finances and more are some of the reasons for the rise of administrators at AU and at colleges across the country.

“What this sort of expansion does, given finite tuition revenue, is risk crowding out resources that otherwise would have gone to the academic mission of the University,” Silvia said.

The University is facing a $68 million budget shortfall, due in part to decreased enrollment numbers from the 2023-2024 academic year, and is projecting an $80 million shortfall in 2026.

According to a fiscal year 2025 budget report from Acting Provost Vicky Wilkins and Chief Financial Officer Bronté Burleigh-Jones, salaries and benefits for faculty and staff make up almost 60 percent of the University’s estimated spending for the year.

“The concern we have as faculty is that the University will use the budget crisis to cut faculty,” said John Bracht, a professor in the College of Arts and Sciences and the president of AU’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors.

Bracht also expressed frustration about pay disparities between administration and faculty.

In fall 2022, the median salary for executive management, excluding the president, was 51 percent — or about $83,000 — higher than the median salary of full-time faculty, according to a memo from the Provost’s office to the Working Group on Faculty Engagement.

In 2023, the University had the highest student-to-faculty ratio — about 14 students for every professor — among peers at Boston University, Case Western University and Georgetown University, according to the study group’s report which cites data from the Progres-

sive Policy Institute. Georgetown, the lowest of the four, has about six students for each faculty member.

Under Burwell, there were 10 vice presidents, each with their own staff. When VP of Undergraduate Enrollment, Campus Life and Inclusive Excellence Fanta Aw left AU in 2022, Burwell replaced her single role with three new positions, one for each of Aw’s former portfolio items.

Under President Jonathan Alger, two of those positions have been eliminated, leaving nine vice presidents.

In March, Alger announced that Matthew Eynon would become the next vice president of University Advancement, a role focused on alumni connections and donations that Dan Luperchio previously held as an interim vice president.

The Eagle reached out to the University for a statement but did not receive one before the printing deadline.

Jacqueline Gibson, a freshman in CAS, is worried more about how little is known about administrators’ roles rather than the number of administrators, especially with her “paying a bunch of money to go here and that’s paying their salaries.”

Patrick Thaddeus Jackson, a professor in SIS for 25 years and chair of the Department of Global Inquiry, said that the increase of administrators under Burwell can be partially attributed to her background in bureaucracy and her top-down approach to many challenges. Before coming to the University, Burwell served as the Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Obama administration.

Samuel Florez, a sophomore in the Kogod School of Business, said that instead of more administrators, he wishes that there could be more advisors for students.

At the end of 2024, the University announced that it would be cutting general first-year advising and instead transitioning to major-based advising after the spring

2025 semester, confusing some students and faculty.

This separation between students, faculty and administration has created distrust and sometimes friction between administrative decisions and faculty opinions. On Feb. 7, 2024, the Faculty Senate passed a resolution condemning Burwell’s Jan. 25, 2024, directive that banned indoor protesting and the decision’s lack of faculty input.

“The tension is there’s a difference between being informed and being consulted,” said Garret Martin, a professor in SIS and faculty senator. “At times I’ve seen the former, where we would either be told that a decision was coming or presented a debate where most of the parameters have already been decided.”

Quinn Fitzpatrick, an undergraduate senator and Student Government liaison to the Faculty Senate, shares this frustration.

“It’s clear to me that the faculty, who are generally more informed on this because they work with administrators more closely than we do, don’t see a clear reason for this growth,” Fitzpatrick said.

Some faculty, such as Martin, Jackson and Silvia, are hopeful that Alger will address this growth and faculty concerns, as he has a history of working in higher education. Jackson said that Wilkins has been more responsive to faculty and has understood the faculty’s request for more of a voice in administrative decision-making and hiring.

“Faculty are not concerned about having control, but about having a voice,” Jackson said.

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theEAGLE April 2025

D.C. residents and AU students on the front line of Trump’s second term

Meeting the moment as universities across the U.S. remain silent

by Gabrielle McNamee, Investigative Reporter and Payton Anderson, Campus Life Editor

“People are fired up about this because of what’s happening at the federal level”

MATHEUS KOGI FUJITA ABRAHÃO/THE EAGLE

sity told Reuters it would “comply with any communications or requests from OCR.” The University’s response has largely focused on compliance, and in some cases has included student support initiatives.

But during Trump’s first term, the University spoke out against federal decisions such as new Title IX rules and restrictions on international student visas.

It also signed onto an amicus brief with Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology in a federal court in Massachusetts.

Deal said now the University is continuously evaluating current and potential future policy while determining the necessary steps to take.

“While we cannot predict every scenario or hypothetical outcome, we know that policy actions may compel us to respond and a d a p t ,”

Deal said. “As developments proceed, we will make informed decisions based on our mission and values and share those considerations and outcomes with the community.”

Leach said working with faculty and students to get involved on the local level to fight back against the fossil fuel industry is important, especially under this new administration.

“When you have an administration … in the federal government that is actively working against the environment and working against stopping climate change, it’s really important that you’re taking more of an action on a local level,” Leach said. “We can take the smaller steps to kick [fossil fuel companies] off of our campuses … By taking these smaller steps, it will definitely add up.”

Faced with foreign aid cuts, student entrepreneur adapts Some students have also adapted to changes outside of the University’s control in the face of the Trump administration.

Roland Tilk, a sophomore in SPA, said he immediately thought

MATHEUS KOGI FUJITA ABRAHÃO/THE EAGLE

President Donald Trump has issued a stream of executive orders and policy decisions following his re-election that have impacted a variety of organizations, initiatives and individuals. While most universities haven’t actively engaged against his actions, students and others impacted are actively facing the consequences.

Residents and students in the D.C. area are organizing efforts to push back against these decisions.

Gemma Leach, a junior in the School of Public Affairs and a leader at American University’s chapter of Sunrise, a climate activist group, said Trump’s executive orders, such as pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement, have not changed the organization’s mission but have impacted its campaign strategies. By pulling the United States from the agreement, Trump established the federal government would not try to meet emission reduction goals.

Leach said Sunrise AU has been focused on educating students on how they can get involved with local coalitions, communities and other climate advocacy efforts.

“People are fired up about this because of what’s happening at the federal level,” Leach said. “So we’re using that momentum to get people involved at the school level and, of course, the federal level as well.”

While Leach and Sunrise AU are working to de-

normalize fossil fuel contributions to campus and limit their influence, Trump has doubled down on oil and gas production in the U.S. Leach said Sunrise encouraged faculty to make more “fossil-free commitments,” which has become more difficult with the increasing fear of losing federal funding for education as Trump threatens universities. Leach said faculty members have become “more resistant” to the idea of losing further funding.

“AU is committed to trying to keep things as financially stable as possible for professors and for students,” Leach said. “And we know that the fossil fuel industry isn’t contributing enough money [to the University] that losing it would be a significant financial hit.”

In a statement to The Eagle, Elizabeth Deal, assistant vice president and deputy chief communications officer, said the Un ive rsity’s comm it me nt to sustainability, both on campus and through scholarships, r e mained a priority and core value.

Many universities across the country have not spoken out against the Trump administration. Trump has pulled funding from some, like Columbia University and the University of Pennsylvania.

The University is currently facing an open investigation from the Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights.

The Univer-

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theEAGLE April 2025 about threats to foreign and military aid to Ukraine when Trump was elected. Prior to the election and Trump’s assumption of office, Tilk and his company, Curoko Solutions, had been working on a proposal with the U.S. Agency of International Development.

USAID would have helped fund Tilk and Curoko Solutions to send power packs to Ukraine. Instead, Trump terminated 90 percent of USAID’s federal aid contracts.

The power packs were designed “specifically to Ukraine’s needs,” weighing 80 pounds, functional in sub-zero temperatures and waterproof with durable casing, Tilk said. Curoko Solutions was focused on supporting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure amidst its ongoing war with Russia.

Tilk and Curoko Solutions have begun to send pallets of portable power stations to Ukraine. The official launch of their company and its work has brought forth non-profits and other companies who support Ukraine looking to support their endeavors, Tilk said.

“In an odd way, the uncertainty pushed these companies out there,” Tilk said.

As the federal government’s attitude toward foreign aid shifts, Tilk said more opportunities to support Ukraine are emerging. Noticing increased support in D.C. for Ukraine amidst its ongoing war that began three years ago, Tilk said he was happy his company could support the nation.

“We’re college students trying to make

A shift in the District

I wasn’t expecting the despair of everyone to be as high as it was.

Kaden Ouimet, the president of Taskforce USA and a sophomore in SPA, said he has noticed a shift in D.C. culture since Trump returned to office.

Since the election, Ouimet said the nonpartisan task force, centered around protecting democracy, has focused on mobilizing students across D.C. for teach-ins, protests and workshops to “move towards demanding democracy.”

“We’re here, we’re ready and we’re fighting,” Ouimet said. “We have a presence in D.C. and we want to prioritize organizing under autocracy.”

Emerson Katz, a sophomore in SPA, said she feels the weight of uncertainty now, more than ever.

“Every day, I wake up in the morning and I just don’t know what to expect,” Katz said. “It’s almost like progress is being turned backwards when we need it to be pushed forward.”

While some students feel discouraged following the election results, others are optimistic about Trump’s second term.

Luke Brown, AU College Republicans communications director and treasurer and sophomore in SPA, said he noticed the club gained momentum following Trump’s election and inauguration.

“We’ve increased our social media presence, we’re making statements, we’re doing things like that, so I think we’re just trying to be more active where we can,” Brown said.

Brown said he and other AU College Republicans understand that some may feel unsure about the future, but he was still surprised by the reactions most students had to the election.

“I wasn’t expecting the

We’re college students trying to make a difference internationally.

Anyone can make a difference — you just have to put the work in and remain perseverant. a difference internationally,” Tilk said.

“Anyone can make a difference — you just have to put the work in and remain perseverant.”

ens to cease federal funding for academic institutions that consider race in most aspects of student life.

“We are also working closely with national organizations. While we continue to explore any potential additional implications of federal policy actions, our commitment and work to advance a welcoming, inclusive community for everyone endures,” Deal said.

“We embrace the full and wide array of perspectives and backgrounds in our community that enrich our learning environment for everyone.

despair of everyone to be as high as it was,” Brown said.

Although the University is a predominantly liberal campus, Brown said he has noticed a “big wave of Republican optimism” in D.C. MJ Childs, a freshman at George Washington University, said he always considered D.C. to be inclusive of the queer community, which he is a part of. Shortly after the inauguration, Childs said he noticed a shift in the District’s progressive culture.

“First, [an anonymous online account] commented ‘disgusting creature’ on my posts, and I was like, ‘Okay,’ then that’s when they followed up with using the Fslur and the N-word,” Childs said. “It was very alarming when I read that across my screen.”

These comments came in response to images Childs posted from a photoshoot for George Washington’s Fashion and Business Association centered around queer identity. Originally from suburban Pennsylvania, Childs said this was not something he would expect to occur in “liberal-minded” D.C. “[Trump] enables a lot of discrimination and a lot of derogatory behavior,” Childs said. “And I do think that that person did feel, even if it wasn’t directly — I think at least subconsciously — they felt able to comment that based off of him winning the election.”

At American University, Deal said the Office of Inclusive Excellence is working to provide guidance and answer questions as Trump threat-

IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE

A shrinking federal workforce In the first two months of the year, the government laid off more than 62,500 workers. Trump has also planned to cut 80,000 jobs from Veterans Affairs.

Robin Bell, a 20-year Army veteran and previous Pentagon consultant, still has friends and family members who work in the federal government, and Trump’s job cuts have directly impacted their work.

“When Trump first got elected this time, [my friend] and I would talk, and he was like, ‘Oh, we’ll be fine, it’s not going to impact us,’” Bell said. “But now it’s impacting him directly because he works at [Vet-

I kind of pushed my emotions to the side and was trying to remain optimistic. And then I got that email, and I think any amount of hope that I had left kind of just started rescinding. erans Affairs], and now he is afraid of his livelihood.”

The cuts to the federal workforce have also hit students. Katz said she did not realize how she would be LE EAG directly affected E /TH until her appliHÃO A R AB cation for an inJITA TH MA

KOG EUS

I FU

8 ternship with the Environmental Protection Agency was terminated following the federal hiring freeze on Jan. 20.

“I kind of pushed my emotions to the side and was trying to remain optimistic,” Katz said. “And then I got that email, and I think any amount of hope that I had left kind of just started rescinding.”

Like many undergraduate students at the University, Carly Castaldy, a sophomore in SPA, said she is interested in a career in politics after graduation. However, she said she is considering alternative options after seeing firsthand how those in New Hampshire Democratic Senator Jeanne Shaheen’s office are now struggling to do their jobs.

Castaldy said she had always wanted to experience working on Capitol Hill.

She started working for Senator Shaheen in early January, just a few weeks before Trump took office. Her main role is answering constituent phone calls, which she said have gotten more “hectic” since Trump’s arrival.

“It was either the second or the third week after the administration switched, and we got something like 20,000 messages from constituents in a week, and that’s insane,” Castaldy said of calls about Trump’s executive orders.

Castaldy said most of these calls are very negative and come from people from both ends of the political spectrum. “[The negativity has] been hard at

theEAGLE April 2025 dismantling of the Department.

“The Department of Education is literally what helps the kids that we would be teaching and funds our jobs,” Levin said. “So [School of Education students] were just a little bit in shock about what’s going to happen, not even just to us, but the kids that we were supposed to help.”

As a future educator, Levin said it has been difficult to watch some recent SOE graduates lose their jobs, but she has remained determined to continue pursuing a career in education.

“If everyone gets nervous about not having a job, who’s going to be there for the kids at the end of the day?” Levin said. “The people in my classes are very much still motivated, and the professors especially think this only means we need to work harder.”

Morrison said it is more important now than ever that members “stand together” to make sure their voices are heard.

“It is important that all unions across the country are standing together and signing petitions, calling elected officials and just holding elected officials accountable as much as possible,” Morrison said.

“Because when they feel the heat, they move.”

Along with his various executive orders, Trump has also expressed wanting

MATHEUS KOGI FUJITA ABRAHÃO/THE EAGLE

can.”

“D.C. residents pay federal taxes, we serve in the military, we contribute to this country, like every other American, and yet we continue to be treated as secondclass citizens and are forced to defend our freedom to have self-governance,” Stauffer said.

Without self-governance, Stauffer said D.C. residents will have less of a voice than before. Even with the Home Rule Act, the District still lacks the same autonomy as other states, including representation in

gress uses D.C. as a “testing ground” for national policies.

“Whatever happens [in D.C.] is going to cause ripples and reverberate across the United States,” Ouimet said.

Deal said the University would work with D.C. government officials, neighbors and local partners to address local policy issues and support the D.C. community.

According to Stauffer, the answer to protecting D.C. home rule is obtaining statehood, which she said could be more difficult under the Trump administration

MATHEUS KOGI FUJITA ABRAHÃO/THE EAGLE

Whatever happens [in D.C.] is going to cause ripples and reverberate across the United States.

times, just because there’s not really a lot I can do to help,” Castaldy said.

Preparing to face proposed changes Students and D.C. locals are also gearing up for proposed changes by the Trump administration, including eliminating the Department of Education and curbing D.C.’s home rule.

Pia Morrison, president of the Service Employees International Union Local 500, which represents University Academic Affairs staff, adjunct professors and graduate students, said the loss of the Department could directly impact the federal funding provided to public schools.

Ellie Levin, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences and a special education minor, said she worries that this means students won’t get the “resources and education they deserve.” Levin added her concern has only grown since the proposed

the federal government to “take over” D.C., citing high crime and homelessness as his main reasons. Congressional Republicans have also taken steps to repeal the District’s long-standing right to self-governance, which was established in 1973 by the Home Rule Act. Anne Stauffer, vice president of issues and advocacy at the League of Women Voters for D.C., said the threat to D.C.’s self-governance posed by the Trump administration is both “undemo- cratic” and “unAmeri-

Congress, the ability to independently legislate and manage its budget, free of federal government interference.

Ouimet added that these attacks on home rule are significant because Con-

and a Republican-majority Senate.

“Congress is ultimately the body of elected officials that would approve a statehood admission bill for D.C.,” Stauffer said.

“So we need people across the country to care and say that this needs to be fixed as well.” news@theeagleonline.com

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theEAGLE April 2025

Students left craving choice after American University implements a two-year housing requirement Freshman, sophomores required to live on campus

by Sophia Cooper News Staff Writer American University will enforce a two-year housing requirement starting in Fall 2025, citing the University’s “commitment to student thriving.”

The new housing policy will go into effect starting with the incoming Class of 2029. The University notes that its D.C. peer institutions — George Washington University and Georgetown University — already have a two-year residency requirement, according to a news message released by the University on Nov. 20 regarding the change.

The Housing and Residence Life website also notes that by living on campus, students will have access to a supportive and accessible environment that will ensure a “seamless transition to college life,” create a stronger community and inspire “a vibrant and impactful social life.”

Kristine Roque, a freshman in the School of Communication who currently lives off campus, said that while it is tougher to make friends living off campus, making that choice is important.

“I felt really liberat[ed], and now [living on campus] is being forced upon the students,” Roque said. “I don’t think that if I was an incoming freshman and I knew that, I wouldn’t go here.”

Living on campus will also enhance students’ academic and personal success by helping to “develop [students’] independence, time management, and interpersonal skills within a supportive environment,” according to the residency requirement website.

Scarlett Timm, a freshman in the College of Arts and Sciences is currently living on campus but plans to move off campus for her sophomore year. Although she believes that it is important to live on campus for freshman year to socialize, living off campus is more effective Sophomore year.

“You get a lot of other amenities as well, living off campus,” Timm said. “Some places have nice patios or in house washing and drying. That doesn’t cost extra money.”

A campus working group was established in fall 2023 and remains active, according to Assistant Vice President and Deputy Chief Communications Officer Elizabeth Deal. Other contributors included leadership from the Office of General Counsel and the Division of Student Affairs.

Students who may not be able to afford the new residency requirement are encouraged to reach out to the Office of Financial Aid about possible assistance options, according to Deal.

The news message also reassures that upperclassmen and graduate students will still have the option to live on

OWEN AUSTON-BABCOCK/THE EAGLE

campus. The message notes that new transfer students will not be included in this new residency requirement, but if they would like to live on campus, they can submit an application by the normal deadline.

According to Deal, there may be changes in housing assignments to house different student populations as they are needed, but the University is not currently adding any on-campus housing options.

campuslife@theeagleonline.com

Students question annual tuition increases ‘I don’t know what my money is going toward’

by Payton Anderson Campus Life Editor Following its annual budget report for the fiscal year of 2025, American University President Jonathan Alger and Chief Financial Officer Bronté Burleigh-Jones announced that tuition would increase by 4 percent, with a 4.5 percent increase for on-campus housing and an 8 percent increase for meal plans, leaving many students wondering where their money is going.

“I don’t know what my money is going toward,” said Maggie Cejne, a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs. “This is already an increasingly expensive institution, so I don’t think it’s warranted to be honest.”

According to the report, tuition was 5.9 percent higher than last year, making up 78 percent of the University’s $860.4 million in revenue. However, last year’s annual budget report shows the University made $894.1 million in revenue, 80 percent of which was from student tuition.

In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, tuition increased by 5 percent.

Most universities increase tuition each fiscal year.

George Washington University increased its tuition by 3.5 percent and Georgetown University increased it by 4.9 percent for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Still, students are wondering where this revenue is going. Matt Wingen, a sophomore in SPA, said that the University is already expensive and the lack of direct benefits from the increases can make it feel “like a waste” to go here.

Lileia Olson, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said she wonders why the University continues to increase tuition when it continues to suffer from a lack of student-generated revenue, as seen in its $68 million

budget shortfall.

Olson said the impact of this budget deficit on students, such as the potential restructuring of the School of Education before a gift from H. Kent Baker, leaves her wondering, “Where is our money going if there are things that we are continually losing, too?”

Emma O’Hara, a junior in SPA, pointed out that the University now requires students to live on campus for their first two years.

She doesn’t see why tuition needs to be increased when “[the Universit y] is going to make money from that.”

Wingen said the budget deficit alludes to a larger issue of a lack of transparency from the University on its finances. Although the Un i v e r s it y reports on its annual budget via email, Wingen said

there needs to be more consistent communication on these changes.

O’Hara said she only knew about last year’s tuition increase when she saw the billing information for the next academic year. The University emailed the community on March 4, 2024, about the increase for the next academic year. “[The University doesn’t] tell you that it’s increasing early enough, especially for students who can’t handle that 4 percent increase, who would then have to consider different options,” O’Hara said.

“They don’t have time to transfer, they don’t have time to apply for scholarships.

It just needs to be communicated more effectively.”

features@theeagleonline. com IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE

LIFE

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theEAGLE April 2025

AU’s Kogod Business and Entertainment program hits the right note Program bridges gap between business fundamentals and entertainment industry

by Emma Taylor Music Beat Reporter From hosting top stars like Flo Milli to representing local artists, Kogod School of Business students are breaking into the business and entertainment industry in a nationally recognized program.

The program, just 12 years old, gives students a taste of the entertainment world, with plans to expand past music.

“What we’re hearing from employers out there is that you can quickly teach students the industry or the company, but you can’t teach them quickly the fundamentals of business,” Linda BlossBaum, director of Kogod’s Business and Entertainment program, said. “[In other schools], business is an afterthought, which for our program, business is actually the forethought of how we start things out. It’s the Business and Entertainment program.”

Before the Business and Entertainment program launched, students could take classes in the College of Arts and Sciences’ music program in tandem with Kogod’s business program.

However, John Simson, a University professor and founder of SoundExchange, said that students wanted a program that focused on the operation of the entertainment industry and the music business.

In fall 2011, Simson taught an introductory course on the entertainment and music industries and, the following semester, one on music publishing and copyright. The popularity of the classes grew, and in spring 2012, Kogod’s dean at the time tasked him with designing a major out of his classes.

JOSH MARKOWITZ/THE EAGLE

In 2013, Simson asked one of his colleagues in the industry, BlossBaum, to join his team. She joined the program as an adjunct and later full-time before becoming the program director in fall 2023.

“AU has always been my north star in Washington. For as long as my career has been in the city, it’s been kind of in relation to AU and my time there,” BlossBaum said.

Simson and Bloss-Baum worked together to grow the program into what it is today, creating a capstone class and prioritizing finding companies that would let students assist them for course credit.

A couple of years into the program, the capstone class partnered with Smithsonian Folkways, a record label under the Smithsonian Institute, and the National Independent Venue Association, which protects independent venues from being taken over by larger entertainment companies.

Bloss-Baum said that having the program in the Kogod School of Business gives students a strong foundation in business.

“It was very gratifying to see what great work our students did trying to solve some of the problems that persist in the industry,” Simson said.

JOSH MARKOWITZ/THE EAGLE

Aidan FitzGerald, a senior in Kogod and a Business and Entertainment major, enjoys the program’s emphasis on business, specifically citing BlossBaum’s Protecting the Creative Class course, which gives students a taste of both the creative and business sides of the industry.

“It’s one of those programs that are so specialized that you can get a lot of good knowledge you can easily apply in a real-world job,” FitzGerald said.

Another popular course is Representing Talent, which began as Simson introduced guest speakers who were industry professionals, publicists, managers and record producers.

Over time, the coursework grew into opportunities for students to represent local artists.

A couple of years into the program, Simson partnered with Strathmore Music Hall’s Artist in Residence p r o g r a m , a l l o w i n g students in the Representing Talent class to create marketing plans that improve the artists’ digital presence and work to promote them.

The class f u r t h e r developed into an opportunity

for students to participate in planning concerts at local venues, assist in athlete endorsement opportunities and plan film premieres. In 2023, Kogod alum Gary Veloric gifted the University money for programs in the school, which included hosting a major concert in Bender Arena.

The first concert in fall 2023 during Parents’ Weekend featured rapper Flo Rida and opener Hayes Warner. The following year, Flo Milli took the stage in Bender Arena.

Samara Slingbaum, a senior in Kogod, took Representing Talent in fall 2024 and recounted how she and her peers worked through negotiations, ticket sales and the logistics of hosting a concert.

“It was great to see just how much planning goes into literally just one show. I have a lot of respect for agents out there because their job is very complicated,” Slingbaum said.

Expanding beyond the music The program is only 12 years old — young compared to its competitors — but has already gained significant recognition in the industry. Billboard recognized the program in 2023 and 2024 as a top music business program in the United States.

Bloss-Baum hopes to expand the program beyond the music industry curriculum it currently offers. Next semester, the program will offer three new classes for sports management, sports business and entertainment hospitality to attract a wider demographic in the University community.

Last November, students attended the Artists’ Rights Symposium, which was hosted on campus. Students heard from leaders in technology,

11

theEAGLE April 2025 JOSH MARKOWITZ/THE EAGLE

entertainment and government policy to discuss recording artists’ rights and giving artists more control over their music and royalties.

“Not only did it expose our students to all of these people in the industry, but I think it was great for all the people to see our campus and think of us as a leader in the entertainment space,” Bloss-Baum said.

In March, students had the chance to travel to Austin, Texas, to attend the South

by Southwest Music Festival, a weeklong gathering for the entertainment

industr y.

At SXSW, students networked with industry professionals, drafted and p i t c h e d marketing materials and learned firsthand how the live music industr y works. “ T h e r e ’s no better way to spotlight how great our students are than to get them out there and show future employers what they’re all about,” Bloss-Baum said.

The Business and Entertainment program also offers travel opportunities to New York City, Nashville and Los Angeles. These treks allow students to visit film studios, record labels and agencies to get a taste of entertainment hubs around the country. “[The treks] for me, are one of the biggest pluses of the program,” FitzGerald said, who attended the New

York trek twice in fall 2023 and 2024, and the Los Angeles trek in spring 2024.

“It’s great the connections we get through the treks in terms of alumni,” FitzGerald added. “Specifically with Los Angeles, you spend five days together and the relationships built between people are huge.”

Since the program’s first graduating class in 2015, over 200 students have graduated from the program. Simson said his former students have founded

Second District Records in D.C., worked in marketing at Union Stage and are agents for the Creative Artists Agency in New York.

“It’s time for me to let the next generation of leaders come up,” Simson said. “It’s your job to train the next generation and when they’re ready, let them go … it’s just exciting watching them do what they do.” arts@theeagleonline.com

JOSH MARKOWITZ/THE EAGLE

Professors equip aspiring filmmakers with skills to succeed in a competitive industry

From hands-on mentorship to expert guidance, the University prepares film students to break into Hollywood and beyond

by Vaughan Noble Silver Screen Beat Reporter Breaking into the film industry is no easy feat, but at American University, professors are working to give students an edge.

Adjunct screenwriting professor John Weiskopf and Film & Media Arts professor Larry Engel offered insight for young filmmakers at American who want to succeed.

“While filmmaking in Hollywood is about the celebration of art, at the end of the day, it is a business,” Weiskopf said.

“Brace yourself for criticism…

You have to be very reflective and not defensive,” Engel said.

With the cutthroat nature of the industry, both professors said film students not only need to dedicate themselves to their craft, but must understand it to the best of their abilities.

The School of Communication, and the Film & Media Arts program specifically, offers many unique opportunities for students. The

alumni mentoring program gives students a way to bridge educational and professional gaps by connecting students with alumni. At the University, 86 percent of Film & Media Arts majors are employed, in graduate school or both within six months after graduation.

Another offering from the Film & Media Arts program is the Vision Awards, which recognize the best documentary, fiction, digital media, screenwriting and photography works from students. Cash prizes, mentorships and internships are offered to winners.

Engel said his roots in photography promoted the success of his filmmaking ideas. His accomplishments include documentaries featured on PBS, National Geographic and the Discovery Channel, including a Daytime Emmy Award for cinematography.

“I was fortunate that I started in

said. “And that’s how I see the world. I see the world through a series of frames.”

The two know that consistency and innovation are key to success in the industry, which alumna Emily Eldridge Hall embodies. The 2019 FMA graduate, who was recognized in the 2025 SOC 30 under 30 cohort, works as a TV postproduction supervisor in Los Angeles and has worked for Max, Apple TV, Netflix and Showtime.

While FMA grads are not new to success, it takes an immense amount of dedication and creativity to reach that point.

“Force yourself to write and each time you write, get better.

Don’t just churn something out.

Set a

TYLER DAVIS/THE EAGLE

photography because it taught me to train my eye to goal for your see the world as a camera sees it,” Engel personal improvement

and

write

something that's not already out there.

Be original and new,” Weiskopf said.

Engel said that the power of opportunity is an essential aspect of success and advises students, “Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid to say yes.”

“Film has the power to influence people. I think, honestly, that’s the goal of filmmaking in general. It’s something I’ve appreciated much more as I’ve gotten older, just being able to look at something stunning where the storytelling is immaculate and you’re completely enraptured in everything,” Wieskopf said. movies@theeagleonline.com

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theEAGLE April 2025

Appropriation or Appreciation: How fashion walks the line

TikTok ‘trends’ should pay homage to communities

by Alexandra Valdez Life Staff Writer

Fashion is used as a form of personal expression, a revolution against oppression and a reflection on traditions. However, the industry has encountered a problem: cultural appropriation.

The recently popularized “clean girl aesthetic” trend on TikTok encompasses dieting, exercise and glowy makeup, but also slicked-back hairstyles, signature lip combos and gold jewelry.

On the surface, this trend seems harmless and serves as motivation for women to adopt personal health habits. However, it often appropriates culturally and historically significant elements of Black and Latino cultures, according to many social media influencers, journalists and activists.

“Social media has made it so easy for people to participate in trends where they don’t really understand the history or roots of that trend,” said Oni Chaytor, a senior in the School of Communication and a co-events coordinator for American University’s Sister Sister group, a “safe space” for Black women on the University’s campus. “It has given everyone a platform to spread misinformation, especially when it comes to culture.”

While interpretations of trends are subjective and can be seen as disrespectful, understanding the difference between creative inspiration and blatant disrespect is important, Chaytor said. Although factors like businesses and individuals can play a role in appropriation, giving due respect and recognition to cultures of inspiration can establish and promote proper appreciation.

The slick-back hairstyle dates back to the 1900s. It was originally a manner of oppression that forced the Black community to conform to European beauty standards at a time when curly and coily hair textures were perceived as “ghetto,” according to Zimbabwean actress Thandie Newton, who plays a Nigerian activist in the film “Half of a Yellow Sun.” Even in recent years, members of Black and Latino communities continue to face discrimination for their hair, which others often perceive as being messy and unkempt.

As a form of liberation, the Black community has taken this slick-back technique back and introduced a new avenue for Afro-textured hair to be worn naturally. The Black community has made “laying down edges” — which is a hairstyle technique of arranging the fine “baby hairs” at the edge of the hairline into flat, decorative designs — into a form of expression, transforming it into a symbol of pride.

With social media trends, this symbol of resistance has been distilled into being just a “clean look,” pushing the years of history aside while falsely crediting it to white celebrities like Hailey Bieber, who popularized it on social media within non-Black communities.

Cultural appropriation in fashion predates TikTok. In her 2013 American Music Awards Performance, Katy Perry dressed up like a geisha, a Japanese female entertainer who performs traditional ceremonies in art, dance and music, and in her music video for “This is How We Do It,” she wore cornrows.

On TikTok, the dupatta, an important piece of South Asian attire, was labeled as European and called a “Scandinavian shawl.” Even TikTok’s “Blokecore” trend was taken from Black and Hispanic cultures, showing the impact that social media has on appropriation.

Chaytor said she has noticed cultural appropriation extensively inside and outside of the fashion world and on and off campus, especially when it comes to aspects of the Black culture. She said that this disrespect can spread negative stereotypes within the Black community.

IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE

“When it’s on a Black girl, it’s ‘ghetto.’ But when it’s on a white girl, it’s deemed ‘revolutionary,’” Chaytor said. “We don’t get credit for it because our contributions are not seen as worthy enough.”

Ean Williams, the creator of DC Fashion Week, said that appropriation is subjective.

“If there is a designer who decides they want the influence of a certain country because that is what they are inspired by, they’ll just do it,” Williams said.

“And some people may be offended by it and think it’s appropriation. Others will think it spreads a message of diversity.”

Williams started his career in fashion as a model and actor, taking off as a designer later in his career.

After seeing there wasn’t a platform in the District to introduce local designers’ creations to the world, he envisioned what is now DC Fashion Week — a platform for both local and international designers to showcase their work to the fashion community.

How can one tell the difference between appropriation and appreciation? And more importantly, what can be done? Chaytor said it is hard to draw a line between the two because of how commercialized fashion and culture have become.

Isabella Diaz, the vice president of Latinos en Acción, an on-campus organization that has discussed cultural appropriation, is pessimistic about fashion brands learning to understand the difference and changing their work.

“A brand is a business,” Diaz, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, said. “The fashion industry is very capitalist and consumer-focused. If that’s what consumers like, that’s what they’re gonna do. If they don’t even address their effects on climate change, why would they address appropriation?”

Individuals researching whether a trend is appropriation is an important action, Chaytor said.

“It’s important for people to do their own fact-checking and make sure the things they are participating in are good and not harmful to a certain minority group or culture,” Chaytor said.

Domonique Graham, backstage and glam squad manager of DC Fashion Week, offered a positive perspective on how the fashion industry is finally turning the page. Graham pointed to Fenty Beauty because it highlights a variety of models of different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

“If one person could do it, I know the message is starting to resonate with people,” Graham said.

“Nothing great comes overnight, but we don’t ever want to be stagnant.”

Editor’s note: Oni Chaytor is a former staff writer for The Eagle. She was not involved in the pitching, editing or writing of this story. arts@theeagleonline.com

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theEAGLE April 2025

Students and faculty are concerned about the Trump administration’s approach to the climate crisis

CLAIR SAPILEWSKI/THE EAGLE

by Sasha Dafkova Life Staff Writer Students and faculty at American University are concerned after President Donald Trump issued executive orders impacting environmental policies at home and abroad, such as withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement for a second time and opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling.

Faculty warn that Trump’s executive actions on health and natural disasters will have impacts for years to come.

Trump has vowed to make the United

States richer by promoting the development of oil and gas and cutting back on climate regulations, ending clean energy incentives and promoting the use of fossil fuels. In addition, the oil and gas industry contributed $75 million to Trump’s reelection campaign, according to EuroNews.

Associate professor in the School of International Service Malini Ranganathan said that “without a doubt, the influence of the oil lobby is at play here in terms of Trump's favoritism in the fossil fuel industry. This is a case of grifting and what people have called ‘legalized cor-

formation from the Trump administraruption.’”

The World Bank predicts that climate tion, according to Professor Claire Brunel, change may pull more than 100 mil- an associate professor in SIS, who said lion people into poverty by 2030, leav- that “the big problem with misinformaing communities with fewer resources to tion is the fact that it means that a part of fight against climate change increasingly vulnerable.

“We are all going to bear the costs both financially and healthwise from this,” said Karen L. Knee, an associate professor and chair of the Environmental Science Department at American University. “These disasters strike in surprising places and in places that are already vulnerable; it's getting worse.”

The world is already observing the CLAIR SAPILEWSKI/THE EAGLE increasing intensity of natural disasters. the population is voting against their own The recent Los Angeles fires destroyed interest.”

“The conversation about misinformation is a uniquely American conversation,” Dr. Ken Conca, a professor in SIS, said. “It's quite striking that when you look at the state of the climate change debate in other countries, there’s very little skepticism and climate denialism.”

So far, for many students and professors, the Trump administration has painted a hostile picture of how they intend to LILLY BARNETT/THE EAGLE approach the climate crisis.

“It’s something that could be very danover 13,000 structures and caused more gerous, ” Oliver Ivey, a freshman in SIS, than $250 billion in damages, according said.

“We don’t have much time left.” to reporting from ABC News.

Misinformation has also followed recent natural disasters. But scientists are environment@theeagleonline.com readying for an expected wave of misin-

Bender Library's AV equipment borrowing and The Cage are easy to miss

by Alia Messina Silver Screen Editor Tucked away in the basement of the Media Production Center behind the Letts-Anderson Quad is the School of Communication Equipment Room, lovingly referred to as “The Cage.”

Familiar to most SOC students, The Cage houses professional level production equipment for production classes and projects, while the Media Production Center upstairs offers 24/7 access to editing suites with professional software for students’ post-production needs.

American University Film and Media Arts professor Larry Engel teaches production classes using equipment from The Cage.

CLAIR SAPILEWSKI/THE EAGLE

Engel said that equipment access, which is free to students for educational use, is allocated based on the course, with specific access to “camera, sound, lighting [and] grip” equipment based on class criteria.

“All basic SOC students qualify for the first basic package in the equipment room. There’s a Sony Z150 camera which comes with a tripod, and then that comes with some wireless lavaliers, microphones, really all you would need to get going,” Jacob Audouin, the University’s media services manager, said.

The hidden trove of technology is essential for student film majors, but movie-making equipment on campus isn’t limited to students in SOC. Engel pointed to Bender Library’s catalog of editing and filming equipment that is open to non-majors.

Through “AV Equipment Borrowing” students can borrow smartphone gimbals, camcorders, omnidirectional microphones and the ability to reserve the “Simple Studio,” a professional grade space for filming. The library also offers a “Visual Guide” for amateur filmmakers who may not yet be knowledgeable about film terminology.

Another accessible, on-campus filmmaking resource for non-major students is the University’s SubHub, an open edit-

OWEN AUSTON-BABCOCK/THE EAGLE

ing lab with monitors and software for all, for class and passion projects alike.

“The McKinley building has an open lab called the SubHub on the third floor, which has all of the Adobe software on it…anyone can come to that space and use the computers there. Those are great resources for editing,” Audouin said.

Through the SubHub and Bender Library’s resources alone, non-film majors can rent from a catalog film equipment, reserve a professional studio to shoot video and record sound in and edit their projects with access to high-quality software from the Adobe Creative Cloud.

Engel is optimistic about the future

of filmmaking resources for students and hinted at The Cage receiving a “generous” donation from a graduate of AU’s Film and Media Arts MFA program. The donor is a color grader, and Engel said the donation will be used to convert an editing suite in the Media production center into a color correction lab.

Engel said the film and media arts staff, himself included, “want to train the next generation of image makers, filmmakers, who will have the next opportunity to save the planet” through the University’s filmmaking resources. movies@theeagleonline.com

SPORTS

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theEAGLE April 2025

Despite tough season, women’s basketball stood up to the challenge Freshmen set blueprint for future seasons

The American University women’s basketball team had a less than stellar season, securing only one win. But their recent record does not show the whole story.

The team showed growth and maintained a strong willingness to compete week in and week out, which is impressive considering six of the 12 players are playing in their first season.

“When I recruited them, they all came from winning.

They win in everything they do — academics, basketball — they’re high achievers,” then head coach Tiffany Coll said.

“They’re really setting the culture right.”

Of those players, guard Molly Driscoll from Allentown, Pennsylvania, and forward Cecilia Kay from Melrose, Massachusetts, earned Patriot League Rookie of the Week.

Driscoll received the honor after dropping a career-high 24 points against Winthrop during the team’s Puerto Rico trip. She hit 5 three-pointers and notched 3 steals in the contest.

Kay has earned the honor three times this season.

Her most recent award came on Feb. 10, where she recorded her sixth double-double of the season.

“Everyone jokes that she plays harder when her dad is in the stands,” Coll said of Kay. “I think she always plays hard.”

Kay also notched the honor during the first week of the season after stellar performances against the University of Virginia and Fairleigh Dickinson. The honor motivated her early on to continue playing at a high level, Kay said.

Kay was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie team following the 2024-2025 season.

American made a quick impression on Kay and Driscoll, as both received their first Division I offers from American. Both were impressed with the program’s history and the location of campus right near the heart of D.C. Veteran leadership has been a big part of helping the freshmen players settle into their new roles.

Driscoll said she often seeks advice from fellow guards sophomore Lexi Salazar and junior Laura Nogues for tips on elevating her play. “ T h e y helped me adjust to a new dynamic that we’re not used to like high

school was,” Driscoll said. “It really helped me settle into the game.”

Three other freshmen guards accompany Driscoll: Elizabeth Archer, Madisyn Moore-Nicholson and Mary Bolesky have all shown considerable growth this season.

Of the three forwards on the roster, sophomore Grace Koepke is the oldest in the group. Kay credits Koepke with helping her adjust her offense and defense in the post.

One-third of the forward trio is freshman Ellie Pingree from Bow, New Hampshire. Pingree has recently seen more minutes on the floor, which she rewarded with a 17-point performance against Navy on Jan. 2.

Before coming to American, Driscoll excelled playing high school basketball at Allentown Central Catholic, where she averaged 19.4 points in her senior year. She also played club basketball under Dean Reiman for the Lehigh Valley Fever.

Driscoll said that she committed to AU because she wanted to play under a similar culture to her club team.

Kay played at Bishop Fenwick, where during her tenure she scored over 1,000 points and notched over 1,000 rebounds.

In her senior season she was named the Catholic Central League’s Most Valuable Player.

While playing club basketball under Dan Beauchemin for the Mass Huskies, Kay played on multiple different squads against various age groups.

“When I was younger I was practicing against really great players, many of whom later went on to play in D1,” Kay said. “That kind of stuff helped me grow and develop as a player.”

Despite the hardships this season has brought, the players have managed to find plenty of sources of enjoyment. Whether it’s singing on the team bus after a game or hyping up fellow teammates on the sidelines, the freshmen class has brought much-needed positive energy to the team.

“We do lots of little stuff, lots of dancing, lots of singing, lots of tomfoolery some may say,” Driscoll said. “This group brings a lot of life to this team and keeps everyone afloat when the going gets hard.”

The highlight of this season for the Eagles was when they got their first and only win against the Lafayette Leopards on Jan. 29 at Bender Arena.

A hard-fought battle eventually saw American hold off the Leopards to break their 19 game losingstreak, winning 54-52. Kay dominated the boards, securing 9 rebounds to help lift the Eagles to victory.

Kay’s offense picked up in the final quarter, scoring 6 crucial points in the first five minutes.

She stepped up and guided the team to victory after Koepke fouled out with under five to go.

While American has not had a season to remember, the blueprint has been set by the class of 2028. The talent is there for the Eagles, as shown by the accolades players have received this season.

The record isn’t flattering, but the team has slowly started to come together and form an identity that can help carry the team into future success.

The Eagles will look to claw their way back into the big dance next year, as they last appeared in the March Madness tournament in 2022 after winning the Patriot League Tournament for the third time.

“It’s about coming in every time, giving our best effort, and then with that the wins will come,” Kay said. “I think we have a really solid group, and I’m excited to see where we can go in the next few years.” sports@theeagleonline.com

JOSH MARKOWITZ/THE EAGLE

by Jack Stashower Sports Feature Editor

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theEAGLE April 2025

Finding the flock

Athletics travels around the country to pluck future Eagles

by Ellie Haley Sports Staff Writer

Every year, American University’s track and field assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Zach Prescott travels to various cities on recruiting trips in hopes of finding new talent. About two years ago, he considered himself particularly successful.

Prescott made the trip to New Jersey to watch current freshman Noah Smith, who at the time was in his junior year of high school, compete in and later win the 2-mile race. Prescott wasted no time in finding the athlete after his race to hand over a business card and put American on his radar.

“That is the best-case scenario,” Prescott said.

“Finding someone who loves to compete a n d kind of introducing them to the school and allowing them to be like, ‘okay, what’s this place about, let me kind of figure it out.’”

American University athletes are known for their competitive nature within t h e Patriot League, LE but how do G A E HE T these athletes / I N NTI find their Y FA IZZ way to D.C.?

For some

potential Eagles, it takes inter-coach connections and a few emails to show initiative, but for others, talent and proximity streamline the process.

Many of American’s teams, like track and field or field hockey, conduct their own outreach for upcoming athletes who fit the standards of their programs.

They attend local events, stay up to date with databases showing top-performing athletes and, specifically for field hockey, conduct interest camps.

A large part of the recruiting process has to do with where athletes come from and what type of high school they attend. About 35 percent of the 2024-2025 field hockey roster attended private high schools before enrolling at the University, according to data collected from the AU Athletics website.

However, this aspect is largely ignored during recruitment, according to field hockey associate head coach Kristin Matula. She points out that their focus is more on region than school, recruiting athletes anywhere from Pennsylvania to Germany.

The possibility of scholarships is an obvious question for high school athletes when deciding where they will spend their next four years.

Swimming and diving head coach Garland Bartlett shares that the team is non-scholarship and does not offer athletics-related financial incentives.

“If you want to come here, get a great education, swim in a Division I program and improve every year, then have access to the city with just internships and just all those connections, then this could be a good fit for you,” Bartlett said.

The three coaches agree that giving potential recruits the right expectations of the University experience is equally important to the matter of athletics. Matula thinks about it like this: “If you weren’t playing field hockey, would you still come to this school?”

With the academic rigor and unique extracurriculars, both Prescott and Bartlett said athletes have to be enthusiastic about the University as a whole to be successful student athletes. s p o r t s @ theeagleonline. com

Column: Meltzer Center should be viewed as great addition to campus Long-term positives will outweigh the current short-term negatives of construction scale, which I see as a positive.

The Center is set to be completed during the spring 2026 semester, which would mean only two years of construction.

Last March, construction began on a new multiIt would be remarkable for such million dollar athletic facility named the Alan and a facility to be completed in Amy Meltzer Center for Athletic Performance. It promises to be a “state-of-the-art” facility for all stu- that time, and students should be excited for its opening. dents, not just varsity athletes.

As somebody who often Despite the current challenges posed to students and athletes by the construction, the facility will be a uses the Jacobs Fitness Center, it is frustrating when you walk great addition to the University.

While this situation is understandably frustrating in and somebody is using the for some, students should take into account that this machine you want to use for a long time. The Meltzer Center new construction will be a drastic improvement for the University’s campus. Currently, there are only two will be extremely beneficial for accommodating a large student buildings on campus — Bender Arena and Cassell Hall — that have athletic performance areas, neither population.

One program that will of which are ideal for a large number of students to benefit significantly from the Meltzer Center is use at once. wrestling. This season, the team had multiple The Meltzer Center, along with its athletic funcnational top-50-ranking wrestlers. This figure, tions, may prove to be useful in the University’s atsignaling the team’s rise in competitiveness, will tempts to gain more prospective students and imcertainly grow when its players have an upgraded prove its athletic standing.

One specific downside of the Center is the loss of area dedicated to wrestling in the Center. Their relocation to the Meltzer Center will also free up club tennis and tennis classes, but players who parspace in Jacobs for other students. ticipated in those should look at the situation from More reasons to appreciate the Center include the University’s perspective. The school is trying to attract students and upgrade its facilities to improve the renovated track and soccer field that will be located next to the Meltzer Center. The soccer the experience of current students on a long-term

by Cameron Harris Sports Staff Columnist

IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE

teams will be able to compete at home again once their field is upgraded. This will bring back more opportunities for school spirit, as students will now have more opportunities to support University sports on campus.

The Meltzer Center should not be disregarded and should instead be appreciated for the many benefits it will bring. The current drawbacks will be significantly outdone by all the future benefits. sports@theeagleonline.com

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theEAGLE April 2025

Twenty years later, the University’s tennis legacy is gone

by Penelope Jennings Sports Managing Editor Anyone who visits American University’s Athletics office has to first walk through the trophy room. The entryway highlights the American Eagles’ achievements and shows off the various Patriot League trophies teams have won. What you won’t find are any tennis trophies.

Twenty years ago, the athletics department cut the men’s and women’s tennis programs for the first time. After student outrage and protest, the University gave the programs — with five Patriot League titles between them — one more season before being shut down permanently.

Then, in March 2024, the tennis courts were demolished for the construction of the Meltzer Center, definitively ending tennis on American’s campus. “[Being cut] was surprising, but it’s all down to economics,” said Juancarlo Vazquez, who graduated from the College of Arts and Sciences in 2006 and played on the tennis team for four years.

Vazquez, along with the rest of the men’s tennis team, was successful in his tennis career — especially by American’s standards. He and the team were nationally ranked and earned multiple trips to the NCAA Tournament. American is not a school known for its athletic prowess — no team has won a national championship, and wrestler Josh Glenn is the only Eagle to win a NCAA Division I title.

While the student body is seldom sports-crazy, athletes and non-athletes alike rallied together for the teams in 2005. Students joined together in matching t-shirts, which Vazquez credits for getting them one more year to play.

There is an online version of the trophy room, too. It details the championship histories of each team currently operating at the school, without any mention of tennis.

“I understand cutting [the team], but then going back, I want to show my children, ‘oh, this was us. This was our team. We won in X year and Y year.’

But no, all the trophies were e l i m i n a t e d ,” Vazquez said.

Members of the program have been very successful in the tennis world.

Former coaches Martin Blackman and Elissa Hill have held high-level positions

with the U.S. Tennis Association, and former coach Katie Dougherty is the University of Maryland’s head women’s coach. Three-year team captain Kyle Bailey is the University of North Carolina at Charlotte men’s head coach.

“It always miffed me as well, because it costs a relatively small amount of money to run a tennis team,” said Andrew Singer, a 2007 School of Communication graduate.

Singer played on the tennis team for three years, but stayed at the school for his senior year without playing. Vazquez got lucky — he graduated in 2006 and played tennis at American all four years.

But athletes like Singer were faced with a choice: stay at American without tennis, or transfer away from all of their friends.

He stayed, but some, like Rachael Honig Schnell, made the choice to transfer.

“It was not a hard decision. I wanted to keep playing tennis, and that’s what I decided to do,” Honig Schnell said.

While all expressed sadness about the program’s cancellation, there were silver linings. Singer studied abroad during his senior year, which he couldn’t have done if he was still on the team. Honig Schnell transferred to George Washington University to keep playing tennis, but she maintained relationships with friends from American, including her future husband, Jeffrey Schnell.

Vazquez added that all the hardship the program went through actually brought them closer together, and that almost all of his closest friends at American were from the tennis team.

One reason Singer was disappointed by the recent court demolition was that he and other friends who have stayed in the area would come by campus and play on the courts.

Still, all of this happened nearly 20 years ago. The student-athletes are now spouses, parents and adults with careers, both within and beyond the tennis world.

“I kind of came to terms with it a long, long time ago. So I don’t have any hard feelings anymore against American University,” Singer said. “I’ve been able to move on. I still have lots of good memories about the school itself.”

But the thing that still irks them is the missing trophies. There is no legacy of tennis at American. While other teams and athletes are featured on the walls of Bender Arena, tennis is entirely absent, as if there were never a team. And now, with the demolition of the courts for the construction of the Meltzer Center,

there’s nothing on campus that might make a current student wonder if there was once a team.

Even the club tennis team has been pushed off campus.

American tennis alumni don’t know what happened to their trophies — some think they were just thrown away, others thought they were offered to a teammate. Representatives of the Athletic Department weren’t sure about their whereabouts, either.

“That’s one thing that’s kind of broken me up, is that they kind of have erased the program. And I know they have trophy chests and things like that, and they hang banners at the basketball arena. There should be something celebrating our team as well, at least in a

IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE

trophy or a banner, just kind of promoting the memory of our team, rather than sweeping under the rug, which is exactly what it felt like,” Singer said.

“There was no sign that we had been there.” sports@theeagleonline.com

theEAGLE April 2025

EL ÁGUILA

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¿Qué implican las órdenes ejecutivas de Trump para la comunidad latina en los EE.UU? La incertidumbre incrementa mientras la administración de Trump intensifica sus ofensivas contra los inmigrantes

by Maxwell Brothers y Diana C. Rojas Hernandez El Águila Staff Writers La administración de Donald Trump ha adoptado una postura dura contra la inmigración, implementando medidas restringiendo tanto la entrada de inmigrantes como su permanencia en el país. Esta administración está creando una oleada de nuevas pólizas a través de órdenes ejecutivas que generan confusión y pavor en las inmigrantes, sus familias y organizaciones que pelean por los derechos de inmigrantes.

Esta fomentación de miedo hace que las familias se pregunten si es seguro ir a trabajar, que sus hijos asistan a la escuela, o hasta si pueden adquirir ayuda

industrias más comunes en las que estos inmigrantes indocumentados trabajan, la construcción, la hostelería y la agricultura serían las más afectadas, perdiendo hasta el treinta por ciento de sus trabajadores. La pérdida de este segmento del mercado laboral también resultaría en menos contribuciones a programas del gobierno como Social Security y Medicare y una disminución de contribuciones fiscales a los gobiernos locales y estatales.

Hay alrededor de cuatro millones de familias con estatus legal mixto en los EE.UU., los cuales enfrentan la posibilidad de separación por una deportación de gran escala como propuesto por la nueva administración.

Aparte de los efectos psicológicos y emocionales que vienen con la IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE

Aunque Cuellar no ha visto actividades de ICE en su comunidad ni cambios en su vida personal en este momento, aún tiene un sentimiento de inseguridad debido a la aleatoriedad de los eventos recientes con respecto a las deportaciones.

“Yo estoy en Virginia”, dijo Cuellar.

“He estado allá en Washington. No lo he visto. Pero igual uno tiene que tener cuidado y evitar exponerse porque está siendo muy aleatorio todo. Pueden detenerte por cualquier cosa”.

Como inmigrante, Cuellar tiene su propia perspectiva sobre la inmigración y las deportaciones. Habiendo entrado por uno de los centros de inmigración

IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE

médica. Trump ha autorizado la entrada a escuelas e iglesias a ICE, revocando una directiva que prohibía a que autoridades federales realizen arrestos y redadas de inmigracion en estas áreas “sensitivas”.

La deportación masiva de millones de inmigrantes en los Estados Unidos, la cual es la meta de la administración de Trump, tendría una variedad de impactos en el país en relación a la economía, el presupuesto nacional y las familias que estén afectadas. Se estima que el costo de detener, procesar y deportar a los 13,3 millones de inmigrantes indocumentados que viven en el país, a la tasa de un millón deportaciones cada año, sería $96.9 mil millones de dólares, o $88 mil millones al año a lo largo de casi once años. Además, para poder cumplir esta meta se requeriría entre 220.000 y 409.000 nuevos empleados del gobierno y agentes de policía.

Encima de un aumento del gasto gubernamental, esta acción propuesta tendría un gran efecto en el mercado laboral. Casi 90 por ciento de los inmigrantes indocumentados están en edad de trabajar, en comparación con un 61,3 por ciento de la población nacida en los EE.UU. Entre todas las

separación de padres y niños, estos hogares afectados se enfrentarían a una bajada significativa de su ingreso total. En definitiva, se estima que esta deportación masiva propuesta llevaría a una reducción del PIB nacional anual de entre 4,2 por ciento y 6,8 por ciento, lo cual es equivalente a 1,1 trillón a 1,7 trillón de dólares.

Para Luis Cuellar, 24, un ciudadano de Lima, Perú que emigró a la ciudad de Manassas, Virginia en el año 2023, estas órdenes ejecutivas le provocan un sentimiento de incertidumbre.

Como solicitante de asilo, Cuellar ha sacado su permiso de trabajo, número de Seguridad Social y una licencia de conducir, y además está haciendo todos los requisitos necesarios para conseguir residencia permanente en los EE.UU. “No deberían poder [deportarme], pero nunca se sabe”, Cuellar explicó en una entrevista por Zoom.

“No es seguro nada,” añadió con un tono de inquietud. “Están deteniendo a gente que es ciudadana también, solo por como luce. Llegan a ese punto de detener a quien sea aleatoriamente y después pedir disculpas. Es muy arbitrario”.

“Había gente que, según mis valores, no debería pasar. Se veía que no tenía la intención de venir a trabajar, sino de aprovecharse de alguna manera de algo…Pero siento que ya se está saliendo del contexto. Ahora Trump está buscando eso como excusa para deportar a quien sea, porque hay gente que tiene acá 15, 20, 30 años, 40 años, y lamentablemente, no pueden poner sus papeles en reglas porque no hay las opciones para hacerlo.”

Cuellar mencionó la dificultad de emigrar a los EE.UU. por medios oficiales y piensa que debería haber más caminos para los que realmente quieren emigrar, trabajar y aportar al

IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE

en la frontera sureña con México, está de acuerdo con los que dicen que el sistema de inmigración en los EE.UU. necesita reforma. “Hay gente que entra, cruza y al día siguiente lo sueltan. Yo estuve tres meses. Es como una ruleta de la suerte. Siento que la migración debería usar más el razonamiento y no hacerlo de manera aleatoria”.

Según él, este proceso aleatorio es peligroso.

país. “En mi país, no cualquier persona puede tener una visa para entrar, ni siquiera como turista. No todos tienen esas oportunidades. Este país es un país de inmigrantes. Norteamérica es grande gracias a los inmigrantes”. elaguila@theeagleonline.com

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Bukele y El Salvador: Entre la paz y el poder absoluto

theEAGLE April 2025

El Salvador es ahora uno de los países más seguros de América Latina, pero ¿a qué costo?

by Maxwell Brothers El Águila Staff Writer

Hasta hace tres años, El Salvador aguantaba unaHasta hace tres años, El Salvador aguantaba una crisis de violencia y crimen que duraba décadas, alcanzando su punto máximo en el año 2015 con una tasa de homicidios de 106,8 por cada 100.000 personas, la más alta del mundo ese año.

En 2024, El Salvador vio una tasa de homicidios de 1,9 por cada 100.000 personas, una reducción del 98 por ciento. Este cambio sin precedente se atribuye a las políticas del presidente Nayib Bukele, quien ha tomado una postura firme contra las pandillas, notablemente MS-13 y 18th Street, las cuales son principales fuentes del crímen en el país.

El 27 de marzo de 2022, Bukele declaró un estado de emergencia que suspendió derechos constitucionales y aumentó el poder del gobierno, el ejército y la policía, marcando el inicio de la guerra contra las pandillas. Desde entonces, más de 83.000 personas acusadas de vínculos con las pandillas han sido detenidas, haciendo que El Salvador sea el país con el mayor índice de encarcelamiento del mundo.

A pesar de su éxito como líder, Bukele enfrenta críticas por sus tendencias autoritarias. Chris Osorio, 24, un salvadoreño americano de Manassas, Virginia, ha visitado el país antes y después de los cambios.

“Antes, era peligroso. No podías vestir ciertas ropas, ir a ciertos lugares, salir en ciertos

momentos. Ahora, es más o menos lo mismo — pero con la policía.

En lugar de pandilleros preguntándote de dónde eres, ahora es la policía”.

Según Osorio, “ya no hay tanta violencia, pero sigue habiendo corrupción. Los niños temen ser acusados injustamente y enviados a prisión. Esto tiene dos caras”. Para ilustrar la corrupción, Osorio relató una historia contada por un pariente en El Salvador.

COURTESY OF REUTERS “Un niño fue detenido por el ejército, se asustó e intentó huir. Le dispararon por la espalda, pusieron una pistola sobre él para incriminarlo y declararon que era pandillero. Tenía menos de 18 años”.

Osorio está en contra de la minería propuesta por Bukele.

“Económicamente tiene sentido, pero la gente quiere agua y aire limpio – ¿por qué botar eso por unos dólares”?

En cambio, Kevin Castellanos, 24, salvadoreño americano de Manassas Park, Virginia, ve las políticas de Bukele como una bendición.

“Está bien que persigan a los pandilleros que causaron tanto crimen. Osea, hablamos de

generaciones de delincuencia”, Castellanos dijo.

“Cuando estuve allí en 2016, alguien de mi edad me dijo: ‘si no te unes a una pandilla, mejor que estés muerto. Ahora, los niños no tienen que sentirse obligados. Antes unirse era por seguridad: las pandillas daban protección cuando la policía no lo hacía”.

Aunque controversiales, es innegable que las políticas de Bukele han sido efectivas, algo que quizás se refleja en su índice de aprobación del 91 por ciento. elaguila@theeagleonline.com

Opinión: Jacques Audiard debe primero aprender a hablar español antes de criticarlo El comentario exhibió cómo el arte puede ser manipulado para fomentar ataques hacia los migrantes hispanohablantes

by Jerónimo Freydell-Cristancho El Águila Staff Columnist

Hace seis meses, el director de la película “Emilia Pérez”, Jacques Audiard, en una entrevista otorgada al medio francés Konbini, dijo el siguiente comentario: “El español es un lenguaje de países

CONNY GALVEZ/THE EAGLE

modestos, de países en desarrollo, de pobres y migrantes”. El comentario, un intento de salvar su película y redimir las acciones de la actriz protagónica, Karla Sofia Gascón, atacó y denigró a un idioma que le ha dado arte, poesía, magia y riqueza cultural al mundo.

El español es uno de los idiomas más importantes en el mundo; es la cuarta lengua más hablada en el mundo y se considera el segundo idioma más importante en la comunicación internacional. Es un idioma que le ha dado al mundo los versos más exquisitos de Claudio Barrera y Gabriela Mistral; la capacidad de viajar y vivir en cada página de García Márquez, Vargas Llosa y Cervantes Saavedra; caminar y caer en el amor en cada poema de Octavio Paz, Rubén Darío y Mario Benedetti; recorrer los laberintos y emocionarse con cada fragmento de Julio Cortázar, Jorge Icaza, Augusto Roa, Aquileo Echeverría y Rómulo Gallegos; megáfonos para pioneras como Adela Zamudio, Amelia Denis y Salomé Ureña; plataformas de activistas y generadores de cambio como José Martí, Francisco Gavidia, Miguel Asturias e Isabel Freire.

Sin embargo, el director francés no es pionero ni original con sus comentarios xenófobos.

Lastimosamente, vivimos en un mundo donde distintos sectores de la sociedad normalizan estos

comentarios. Es pan de cada día ver cómo líderes y opinadores asocian los males de este mundo a un idioma y no a las decisiones que ellos mismos han tomado. Lo más cómico de estos hechos es que los comentarios y ataques a un lenguaje tan sublime vienen de personas que no saben ni entienden el idioma. Ignorantes, los cuales se atreven a opinar sin saber que es una eñe.

En un mundo tan globalizado y polarizado, donde el arte y especialmente el cine juegan un papel tan importante, debemos rechazar los ataques a las culturas e idiomas. Esconderse detrás del arte no es argumento para menospreciar un idioma y mucho menos a las personas que lo hablan o que lo llevan en su sangre. No importa si usted habla español por sus padres, por su país, por iniciativa propia o por curiosidad; el español, como cualquier otro idioma, nos permite acercarnos y abrir las puertas del diálogo y conocimiento con otras culturas. No convirtamos otros idiomas en discursos de odio para atacar lenguajes y personas que pueden parecernos ajenos. Los idiomas no son los que transmiten odio; son los malpensantes e irresponsables seres humanos los que lo alienan y desfiguran de su noble propósito: comprendernos. elaguila@theeagleonline.com

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theEAGLE April 2025

El impacto de la orden ejecutiva sobre los programas de DEI en American University Las órdenes ejecutivas de Trump limitan la diversidad, impactando a los estudiantes latinos

by Marina Caraballo y Diana Rojas Hernandez El Águila Contributor y Staff Writer

El primer día de su mandato, el presidente Donald Trump firmó una orden ejecutiva revocando una orden originalmente emitida por el presidente Lyndon B. Johnson. Esta nueva acción restringe los programas de Diversidad, Equidad e Inclusión para los contratistas federales y beneficiarios de subvenciones. La Orden Ejecutiva 11246, emitida el 24 de septiembre de 1965,

importantes que antes apoyaban a los estudiantes latinos, como el Multicultural Engagement Center. Estos lugares no solo ayudaban a los estudiantes a sentirse respaldados, sino también les ofrecían un espacio para celebrar su identidad cultural dentro un ambiente académico que muchas veces no los representa.

El impacto de la eliminación de los programas DEI también se extiende al sector privado. Grandes empresas como Walmart y Meta, siguiendo la administración de Trump, han tomado la decisión de reducir iniciativas de DEI.

Respuesta de American University American University ha tomado medidas para abordar los posibles efectos de las órdenes ejecutivas del presidente Trump.

En un correo electrónico, el presidente de la Universidad Jonathan Alger detalló recursos para proteger a estudiantes y programas claves de la Universidad y lanzó un sitio web para actualizaciones sobre políticas federales.

Administradores de JOSH MARKOWITZ/THE EAGLE la Universidad, particurequería que larmente la vicepresidente Traevena Byrd y la los contratistas rectora interina Vicky Williams, explicaron las federales garantizaran igualdad de oportunidades medidas para proteger a la comunidad Univeren la contratación, capacitación y empleo, prohisitaria, destacando que la universidad trabajará biendo la discriminación. Como resultado de la para garantizar la seguridad y el bienestar de nueva orden ejecutiva, los empleados federales los estudiantes, especialmente los inmigrantes. que trabajaban en temas relacionados con DEI Además, la Universidad aclaró que no se pedirá fueron puestos en licencia remunerada o desel estatus migratorio en las decisiones de admispedidos y se eliminaron todas las referencias de incentivos o principios DEI de las páginas web de ión o ayuda financiera y que el Departamento de Policía Universitario no participará en acciones los diferentes departamentos federales.

La administración de Trump ve a DEI como otro tipo de discriminación y llamo a los programas relevantes “radicales” y un “desperdicio de dinero”, en la orden ejecutiva. Trump incluyó que las iniciativas de justicia ambiental tendrían que ser eliminadas, potencialmente perjudicando a comunidades vulnerables. La eliminación de iniciativas y programas de DEI tendrá un impacto tremendo en la comunidad Latina.

Estos programas han sido fundamentales para comunidades históricamente marginadas en fomentar un ambiente en cual los individuos pueden prosperar sin enfrentar discriminación. La comunidad Latina es particularmente vulnerable a la erosión de estos programas ya que históricamente ha enfrentado barreras en el acceso a la educación y el empleo.

Impacto en la comunidad latina Los cambios ya han comenzado. La beca HACER National Scholarship Program de McDonald’s, que originalmente estaba dedicada a estudiantes latinos, actualmente se ha abierto a cualquier persona que demuestre “un impacto o compromiso con la comunidad latina”. A pesar de expresar su desacuerdo, McDonald’s optó por implementar estos cambios como parte de un acuerdo extrajudicial.

Además, universidades como University of Texas at Austin han cerrado centros y programas

JOSH MARKOWITZ/THE EAGLE

migratorias, a menos que lo exija la ley. Estas medidas buscan proteger a los estudiantes vulnerables, alineándose con los principios de DEI al garantizar oportunidades iguales y un ambiente seguro para todos.

Para obtener una perspectiva más profunda sobre estos cambios, nos contactamos con la oficina del Center for Diversity and Inclusion de American University pero respondieron que no tienen comentario en este momento.

Adaptación de organizaciones latinas Diferentes organizaciones sin ánimo de lucro y programas enfocados en ayudar a la comunidad Latina han tenido que adaptarse a esta nueva etapa bajo la presidencia de Donald Trump. Ed Aponte, especialista en Acceso a la Universidad y Carreras Profesionales en Edu-Futuro, una organización dedicada a empoderar estudiantes y familias inmigrantes a través de tutoría, educación y desarrollo de liderazgo, habló sobre este tema.

Aponte explicó que muchas organizaciones “están eliminando cualquier referencia a DEI porque podría perjudicar su habilidad de recibir financiamiento de subvenciones, especialmente de fondos federales que han recibido en el pasado”. Están tratando de evitar disparar las alarmas con sus financiadores, ya sean financiadores gubernamentales, locales o federales, o de fundaciones filantrópicas privadas.

Aponte también expresó que el impacto va más allá del financiamiento.

“Incluso cuando se trata de agencias que proporcionan voluntarios a organizaciones como la nuestra, si ven ese tipo de lenguaje [que promueve DEI] en la página web, podrían dejar de colaborar”.

Por esas razones, enfatizó la importancia de que las organizaciones sean estratégicas con el lenguaje que utilizan. A pesar de algunos cambios, estas organizaciones siguen comprometidas con el empoderamiento de la comunidad Latina.

Aponte enfatizó que “nosotros continuamos prestando los servicios de nuestros programas a todas las personas que los solicitan, sin importar la raza, grupo étnico o religión, lo único que hacemos es adaptar nuestros programas basados en la necesidad de nuestros beneficiarios”. elaguila@theeagleonline.com

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OPINION

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Opinion: Liberation Day, for whom?

Trump administration’s anti-DEI positions liberate no one except those already in power

by Quinn Volpe Assistant Opinion Editor The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and factchecked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.

To be liberated is to be set free. Liberation is a powerful term representing long-denied freedoms granted to people who have often faced marginalization and oppression for centuries. For many Americans, the election cycle allows us to debate what we want to be liberated from.

I’m sure that when President Donald Trump called his second inauguration “Liberation Day,” many resonated with his words and looked with pride at the man they voted for. Trump’s use of the word “liberation,” a term I’ve often associated with true justice from oppressive systems such as prisons, police and the military-industrial complex, made me question who, if anyone, is truly being liberated with him in power.

With his first term under his belt and the clear implementation of the ideas of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, I believe Trump is set to make changes that will do the opposite of liberating marginalized communities.

The existential question of who deserves to be liberated and to whom Trump owes this treatment matters little to him.

More important is the idea that those already being hurt by Trump’s ideas are humans first, no matter what anyone argues is owed in

terms of equality and justice. In trying to determine who deserves liberation, Trump has intensified the suffering of so many people in a land that supposedly represents opportunity and hope. In making this decision, he is liberating no one and hurting many.

Over one million children born in the U.S. have two parents who are not here legally.

Because of the 14th Amendment, these children are constitutionally guaranteed citizenship and all of its benefits, which has been affirmed for over 150 years.

Trump has already increased the military presence at the U.S.-Mexico border by 60 percent and reinstated the “Remain in Mexico” policy, forcing asylum

seekers to stay in what could be unsafe conditions while they wait for the alreadydifficult process to conclude. On top of this, he suspended the entry of all undocumented migrants and shut down the app that allowed people to schedule asylum appointments more efficiently, leaving thousands of migrants stranded in Mexico.

Even if you don’t believe Trump owes anything to people who are not citizens, he is going directly against people who are considered citizens by the Constitution by challenging the 14th Amendment. Additionally, it is a deeply rooted American value to take in the people who need our support most, as is engraved on the Statue of Liberty: “Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, / The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.”

Though some conservatives once argued that they support legal immigration, it is clear that Trump is doing everything in his power to limit what this

entails, all while promising to deport over 11 million people.

In his inauguration speech, Trump echoed a popular conservative talking point akin to the “All Lives Matter” mantra often used to rebut the liberation movements that exist today. “We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based,” he said.

How does one liberate those who truly need it without acknowledging the very reason for their oppression? Angela Davis, a prominent Marxist activist and philosopher who visited American

University in 2023, once said, “Racism is embedded in the fabric of this country.”

Color blindness as an ideology claims to treat all people equally by ignoring race. In reality, it erases the historical and structural forces that create racial inequality in the first

place. Color blindness logic is fueling policies that ignore systemic inequities in areas of life like housing, education, employment and criminal justice. It allows the benefits white people reap from a system of white supremacy to persist.

This idea, which seems to be at the root of Trump’s anti-diversity, equity and inclusion policy, is not a passive failure to see race, but an active avoidance of the realities of

being a racial minority in this country.

By insisting that race should not be considered, his policies attempt to hide how race very much so does matter, especially for those who suffer from the consequences of a racist system.

The entirety of the colorblind argument rests on the false assumption that all individuals have equal access to opportunities, which is objectively untrue considering the centuries of racial discrimination that have created an uneven playing field. Color blindness does not solve the problem of racial injustice; it merely ignores it altogether.

To liberate communities, one must first acknowledge the structures that oppress them, which colorblindness actively denies. By

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while maintaining a false narrative of present fairness.

True liberation requires actively dismantling oppressive systems, not passively refusing to acknowledge that they exist. By promoting colorblindness, Trump is not seeking to liberate communities, but is rather ensuring that the structures benefiting those in power

remain untouched. Ultimately, we must not pretend oppression doesn’t exist, especially under a presidency that is furthering this oppression. Actively acknowledging these issues and working to solve them is the first step in reaching liberation.

Quinn Volpe is a junior in the School of Communication and Kogod School of Business and the assistant opinion editor for The Eagle. opinion@theeagleonline.com

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framing raceconscious policies as unnecessary or even discriminatory, Trump and others who embrace this ideology dismiss the need for systemic change

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Recs with Ritika: Navigating American University’s internship culture It’s important to get an internship, but let’s not get caught up in chaos and competition

by Ritika Shroff Staff Columnist Do you need advice or recommendations from a friend?

Do you have a question for Ritika?

Submit it by scanning the QR code! Ritika cannot wait to share her recs with you!

How am I supposed to get an internship when it’s so competitive?

American University has a deeply competitive internship culture.

From the subtle — or not-so-subtle — name drops in class to the infamous “hillternships,” it can be overwhelming to hear about how your peers are so overinvolved.

However, these are a few tips and tricks on how to ensure you can work through the process.

Getting an internship in D.C. is hard, especially when you know everyone else is qualified; however, utilize those around you. Don’t be afraid to email a professor asking if they have recommendations.

In my experience, you will be one of

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the few who have done so, allowing you to stand out. The University boasts about its reputation of having the most experienced professors, so why not take advantage of their advice, networks or willingness to collaborate?

Your peers at the University are also great resources. It sounds insane, but ask your friends how they got their internships. Ask if they can set you up for a coffee with their boss. The District runs on connections and networking, but the hardest step is making that first move and asking to meet.

The easiest answer to this question is the University’s Career Center. The Career Center has a variety of services, from resume-building and interview preparation to an internship opportunity feed on Handshake. Attending a resume workshop, for example, will teach you how to make your application stand out among a million others.

My favorite, and arguably most absurd, advice is to comb through LinkedIn. Look up the people living the life you want to live in a few years and message them on LinkedIn. Yes, I hear myself and understand how crazy that sounds, but the worst that can happen is they say no or ghost you.

Internship culture and competition are undeniably real. When pursuing

i n t e r n s h i p s in a competitive environment like D.C., it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But remember, you are not alone — embrace the connections you have at the University, whether that means reaching out to professors for advice or tapping into the insights of your peers.

Taking these small yet significant steps, like networking and using the resources available through the Career Center, you’ll be well on your way to finding fulfilling internship opportunities. And who knows?

You might even discover that taking that leap to connect with others, even just through LinkedIn, could lead you to exciting new paths.

Ritika Shroff is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a columnist for The Eagle. opinion@theeagleonline.com

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Opinion: American University’s approach to the core curriculum is flawed

by Deniz Kurdi Staff Columnist

CONNY GALVEZ/THE EAGLE

The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and factchecked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.

which prepares them shouldn’t be dissuaded by that. The For most students, the for constructive dialogue benefits of a structured core outweigh core curriculum likely throughout their lives. any complaints. AU Encounters tries only crosses their mind Stanford academics Debra to be too much at once, which makes as “that thing I have to do to Satz and Dan Edelstein argue its purpose unclear and unfocused. graduate,” but the core should that core curriculums Rather than stretching one course to be so much more than that. that prioritize students’ cover everything, we should make core A strong core curriculum choice over common courses more specific. can teach valuable foundations eventually Shared core courses ensure students lessons beyond just make meaningful wrestle with new information. Broad class material. Instead of discussion scarce. courses fail to build meaningful being an inconvenience, since constructive a structured core offers IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE American University, experiences, being such a politically discussions require well-informed a challenge that the whole engaged school, should recognize that participants. student body tackles together.

The University prides We have to change our belief that a core shouldn’t only be about content, itself on having a politically a core curriculum’s main value is but also about preparing students active student body, but we providing essential information for for real political discussion. are missing the first step in students’ future careers. That perspective The current “buffet developing a civic education. ignores the benefit of a universal core. model” of the Habits Restructuring the core to If the goal is simply learning math, it of Mind system require shared courses will doesn’t matter whether a student takes allows students to build a shared intellectual calculus or statistics. However, students’ avoid unfamiliar foundation. If we create experiences in these courses will vary p e r s p e c t i v e s , the a core that encourages greatly. A universal core ensures that forgoing discussion, critical thinking students learn the same material and potential of a more structured and exposure to different share the same experiences. perspectives, success is We likely won’t remember most core.

Un for tu nately, guaranteed. course content, but the experiences we core gain will last. The value of a structured restrictive IZZY FANTINI/THE EAGLE usually Deniz Kurdi is a freshman core partially comes from being curriculums in the School of Public Affairs and a restrictive. The advantage comes from aren’t favored by students, as they how students face new viewpoints tend to resent being told what to do. columnist for The Eagle. they otherwise wouldn’t. A restrictive Reactions to the AU Encounters courses core also gets students comfortable show how students react to mandatory opinion@theeagleonline.com with discussing different perspectives courses. However, the University

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theEAGLE April 2025

Opinion: Am I enough of a wonk?

‘Wonk culture’ detracts from what really matters

by Addie DiPaolo Staff Columnist

The following piece is an opinion and does not reflect the views of The Eagle and its staff. All opinions are edited for grammar, style and argument structure and fact-checked, but the opinions are the writer’s own.

OWEN AUSTON-BABCOCK/THE EAGLE

beneficial in the long run. However, when too much significance is placed on getting an internship, stress and self-comparison are bound to manifest as symptoms.

The internship conundrum is a perfect example of wonk culture continually going too far, blowing what would otherwise be good academic and professional practices and aspirations out of proportion.

Above all, the wonk stereotype weighs upon those who feel they are not one. In a way to further our selfdoubt and anxiety, we SPA students use the idea of a wonk to feed our own perceived inferiority. Imposter syndrome is a common phenomenon where one feels they are not worthy, deserving or good enough to be in their current position or situation. As students at an academically rigorous and competitive school, it is easy to internalize feelings of incompetence and unworthiness in comparison to peers. In doing so, we use the wonk stereotype as a scapegoat for our self-doubt.

I urge us to alter our thinking.

Next time you’re in class and your wonk peer goes on a tangent about some niche government occurrence, do not feel ashamed of your knowledge or experience. We are here at the University and in SPA to learn, not to exclusively flaunt what we already know. True progress and growth stem from making mistakes, being open to change and being willing and accepting to alter your thinking.

Remember that the wonk stereotype is not an official distinction or a threshold to meet.

It is no more than an exaggeration or a self-proclaimed title. Be active in your learning, be open to change and be prepared for the craziness that lies ahead; give yourself some credit — you’re doing great!

Addie DiPaolo is a junior in the School of Public Affairs and a columnist for The Eagle. opinion@theeagleonline.com

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If you are reading this, I am almost certain you are familiar with the stereotypical student in the School of Public Affairs — you know, the one who can name every sitting member of Congress, their entire professional history, their top five donors and probably their blood type. These “wonks,” as they are so lovingly referred to, are the self-appointed top dogs of SPA. However, for those of us who more quietly go about our studies in public affairs, it can be easy to feel insecure in comparison to the wonks.

With constant boasts about “hillternships,” overly confident comments in class and endless knowledge about even the most niche political topics, wonks appear as geniuses who already have one foot in the door to Congress. However, both the stereotype and the accolades given to those who fit it are grossly exaggerated.

The mysticality that surrounds the wonk stereotype is both incorrect and damaging. As a superficial classification, being labeled a wonk does not have any correlation to a person’s academic ability, political aptitude or potential to succeed in SPA and beyond. In fact, the title may be doing more harm than good — for wonks and non-wonks alike — as it reflects the disconnect between academia and real careers, applications and action.

Though American University students are not blind to the additional learning and growth that transitioning from higher education to a career entails, the wonk stereotype places too great an emphasis on the ideal of perfection before graduation. In other words, the stereotype of an overly confident wonk emphasizes the wrong thing.

While it is undeniably valuable to have a robust knowledge of the subject you are studying, no one is ever done learning, even after college.

For those studying to work in the everevolving worlds of gove r n me nt , policy, justice and other adjacent

fields, continual learning and adaptability are crucial, and the wonk archetype completely overlooks this.

Vast knowledge and book smarts are beneficial to academics and employment, yet open-mindedness and grit are also essential qualities for excelling in public affairs careers. In trying to become the perfect embodiment of a wonk, soft skills are undervalued and under-practiced, resulting in bright students who can name every bill sitting on the House floor but can not accept variability or change of any kind. This would be fine if there were a job posting for a human encyclopedia in Congress, but that is not the reality.

As a busy, stressed college student, it can be easy to fall into patterns of comparing yourself to others and always feeling less than. The wonk stereotype only exacerbates such internal struggles, as it paints a disgustingly unrealistic picture of a genius, internshipwelding SPA superstar who is flying through college and already a presidential hopeful. Though many of us know that the wonk stereotype is overstated and slightly absurd, it is all too easy to compare yourself to the wonk standard and feel underaccomplished.

Not all parts of wonk culture are damaging. The emphasis on internships and gaining experience outside of the classroom is likely to be more

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Satire: Your DC Internship Survival Guide

Fake it till you make it as an unpaid and overworked intern, embrace your character arc

by Faiza Mujahid Satire Columnist

Congratulations! You’ve made it to D.C., the land of unpaid internships and networking events disguised as “casual coffee chats.”As an Assistant’s Assistant’s Assistant Intern at some government agency or advocacy group, here’s a helpful guide to surviving without actually knowing what you are doing.

1. Master the Art of Nodding

In D.C., people love to talk. Your job? Nodding strategically.

- The “Serious Policy” Nod: Used when your boss name-drops acronyms you’ve never ever heard of (NDA? NGO? IDK!).

- The “Deep in Thought” Nod: Tilt your head, furrow your brow and look like you’re contemplating world peace, even if you’re wondering what’s for lunch.

- The “I Have No Idea What’s Happening” Nod: Save this for networking events when someone’s job title is 20 words long.

2. Perfect the Intern Walk Every D.C. intern has a signature speedwalk. Choose your strut.

- The “Late but Important” Walk: Clutch a notebook and power walk like you’re heading to an urgent Senate hearing.

- The “Confidently Lost” Walk: Stride purposefully, even when Google Maps is leading you in circles around Dupont.

- The “Intern Herd” Walk: Stick with a pack of interns. If one gets lost, keep going — it’s survival of the fittest.

3. Speak Fluent D.C. Internese

Sounds like you belong using these buzzwords. Here’s a cheat sheet: - “I work in policy.” = I write emails and Google things.

- “It’s giving bureaucracy.” = This internship has crushed my soul.

- “I’m conducting policy research.” = I stare at Excel spreadsheets for hours.

4. The Ultimate Networking Strategy: Panic Networking is basically speed

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dating for jobs.

- The Over-Enthusiastic Approach: “Wow, I love what your firm does!” (you Googled them five minutes ago).

- The Business Card Hoarder: Collect 70+ cards at events. Never follow up.

- The Accidental Stalker: You connected on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. You liked a tweet from 2017.

5. The Exit Strategy: How to Disappear without Burning Bridges Eventually, your internship will end, and you will need to leave gracefully.

- Step 1: Say, “This was such a valuable experience” (even if you mostly fixed the printer).

- Step 2: Email everyone with a vague “I hope to cross paths again soon!”

-Step 3: Disappear but keep them on

LinkedIn forever — because in five years, you’ll absolutely need a job again.

Congratulations, intern! If you follow this guide, you might just survive. And if everything falls apart and democracy is torn to shreds like the Constitution? Just keep nodding.

Faiza Mujahid is a sophomore in the School of Public Affairs and a satire columnist for the Eagle. satire@theeagleonline.com

: Guide to major free agency All the latest news and rumors for the Academic League, which is not a real thing career after he ran away with the Freshman of added that Qdoba was actually a “great study the Year award and led the school in GPA last space”). year. Fellow Literature students and their fans have been irate at their small return, calling for an investigation for possible tampering. When asked for comment, Finance responded, “No take backs.”

Last summer, a four-person friend group from In a highly-anticipated televised spectacle, suNova High School made headlines for commitperstar STEM student and reigning Arts & Sciences ting together to AU as Political Science students.

MVP LeBrian Jameson announced his decision to However, before they could even take a class totransfer from Applied Mathematics to Biology. He We are approaching a month since Communi- gether, news broke this morning that class clown and fellow transfer Kris Bosche will join Duane cations, Legal Institutions, Economics and Gov- Vincenzo Dante was traded away. Dante had Weede, forming a ferocious “Big 3.” In their introernment sophomore Jamie Hartenson publicly become an instant fan favorite, lighting up classes ductory press conference, when asked about his pre- requested a major change. The School of Public with a blazing 91 percent participation rate and dictions for next year, Jameson said they would win Affairs has repeatedly stated that they will not an equally impressive 86 percent of his jokes “not one, not two, not three, not four…” eventually entertain trade offers, but it’s impossible to ignore landing. He will take his antics to Theatre, where landing at 5e14 championships.

Hartenson’s antics toward the end of last year. he hopes to upstage his former teammates.

Allegations surfaced that they were intentionally sabotaging their own test results, sometimes Domenic DiPietro is a freshman at American Unishowing up 40 minutes late to exams and loudly versity and a satire columnist for The Eagle. chewing on Funyuns. The relationship between In a shocking move, Literature has traded interna- Hartenson and the SPA faculty has grown quite satire@theeagleonline.com tional superstar sophomore Luke Don to Finance in toxic, exacerbated by Hartenson’s unprecedented exchange for senior Antonio Davies and a first-round demands, including unlimited meal exchanges, roster spot for the class of 2029. Pundits expected a fake ID, an entire suite to themself and a key Don to stay with Literature for his entire academic to Qdoba (when asked for comment, Hartenson

by Domenic DiPietro Satire Columnist

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theEAGLE April 2025

STAFF EDITORIAL AU students are fighting for their futures in light of new policies, now administrators need to step up The administration needs to fight for its students now more than ever

by The Eagle Editorial Staff

The Eagle’s editorial board is comprised of its staff but does not represent every individual staffer’s views.

Rather, it provides an insight into how The Eagle, as an editorially-independent institution, responds to issues on campus.

The atmosphere at American University has shifted since President Donald Trump took office.

Energy has become uncertain and frustrating, especially as the government and the University fail to step up for students.

The Trump administration’s new policies have already begun affecting University students directly, from federal hiring freezes causing students to lose internships or jobs to dismantling departments students may want to work in. Students who once saw a future in the government are now forced to rethink their career paths entirely, and those who have lost opportunities are left wondering whether D.C. and the University are still places for changemakers and

public servants.

Despite the setbacks, students have remained on the frontlines, fighting the Trump administration with little to no backing from the University.

We have students sending power packs to Ukraine, advocating for diversity, equity and inclusion policies and organizing protests. All the while, the push to dismantle home rule in D.C. has left students and D.C. residents alike wondering whether democracy can thrive in a city with no mayor or functioning government. And the University’s administration has remained largely quiet.

Unfortunately, silence is not leadership. If the University wants to continue branding itself as one of the country’s most politically engaged universities, it needs to act like it. Administrators cannot sit back while students take risks to advocate for what’s right. Other universities nationwide have begun giving in to Trump’s pressures and done little to push back, and it’s a very real possibility that if our University pushes back, we could lose federal support. Still, the University needs to stand firm in supporting the work its students are already doing. Administrators cannot be complacent if the government threatens

the livelihoods of transgender student athletes, protesters or students who write guest columns on our campus.

The pattern of the University issuing vague, performative statements before returning to a state of inaction is familiar. University President Jonathan Alger released a statement in February launching a website for students to navigate campus resources relating to Trump’s orders, but the website does not seem to have been updated since Alger’s announcement.

The University needs to take this opportunity to proactively create policy instead of just reacting to students or the government’s demands. The University needs to reaffirm its commitment to protecting students, take a stand against the Trump administration’s harmful policies and support its many students who are directly impacted by these shifts. The administration needs to remember that civic engagement can’t just be a selling point for potential students, but a core value that it is willing to defend. editor@theeagleonline.com

CROSSWORD CROSSWORD ANSWERS CAN BE FOUND ON PAGE 2

ACROSS 5. Where to get a fresh baked sweet treat every Wednesday 7. Faculty and staff salaries make up almost ___ of the University’s spending 9. The School of Education’s new name and a culinary profession 10. Gemini rapper, and renowned hater, that headlined the Super Bowl 13. The Eagle’s first non-binary editor-in-chief in its 100-year history 15. This Tenleytown staple, known for its margaritas, is now offering brunch 18. Go-to parking lot on campus, also a common description of a weekend’s activities 19. Rapper who’s got millions because they’ve got hits 22. This controversial Oscar film took home Best Supporting Actress 23. Name for the campus camera equipment hub, could double as a horror movie name 24. The one thing that seems to rise every year at American University 25. Get all your campus recs from DOWN 1. The agreement President Trump promised to “Rip-up” so that America could “Drill, baby, Drill” 2. Is, has been and will continue to be under construction, likely till the end of time 3. A meme coin and the department gleefully eliminating your job 4. Your favorite classmate in the School of Public Affairs and the name of a never forgotten feline 6. AU’s go-to “response” to any issue 8. This former AU student could have cameoed in “Anora” 11. "Hamilton" star that recently graced AU’s campus 12. President John Alger and President Donald Trump both got _______ this year 14. We can’t make it past the first round of ________ 16. The Eagle will be the proud occupants of a new ___ next school year

17. Rip a presidential baddie and #peanutfarmer 20. Number of Patriot League titles between men’s and women’s tennis 21. Name D.C.’s newest female panda, who shares a last name with a popular dim sum bun

CROSSWORD BY: TYLER DAVIS, GAVIN O'MALLEY, ABIGAIL TURNER